‘Did you?’
‘Ay, and thought it like their impudence.’
‘That will do, my boys,’ said Sir Jasper. ‘Now run away.’
Mr. White put something into each paw as the door was opened and the pair made their exit.
If Sir Jasper acted as advocate, Mr. White seemed to take the position of judge.
‘There can be no doubt,’ he said, ‘that the letter containing the notes reached this house.’
‘No,’ said Mr. Stebbing hotly. ‘Why was I not told? Who cleared the letter-box?’
It was the page’s business, but to remember any particular letter on any particular day was quite beyond him, and he only stared wildly and said, ‘Dun no,’ on which he was dismissed to the lower regions.
‘The address was “Francis Stebbing, Esq.,”’ said Sir Jasper meditatively, perhaps like a spider pulling his cord. ‘Francis—your son’s name. Can he—’
‘Mr. White, I’ll thank you to take care what you say of my son!’ exclaimed Mrs. Stebbing; but there was a blank look of alarm on the father’s face.